


Reydar Love

by tmwillson3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Song Lyrics, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 09:03:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14997449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3
Summary: When Rey decides to sneak in and see how Ben runs his company, little do either realize the consequences. He spots her, so he decides to dress up as Matt the Radar Technician, in the same position as her. When they start dating and getting close, he knows he needs to tell her the truth, but how?Enter the song "Radar Love" by Golden Earring, and a drunk Ben.





	Reydar Love

**Author's Note:**

> No, I don't own Star Wars, SNL, or the song "Radar Love". I just had a crazy idea for a songfic at one AM that needed to be written. It was such a fantastic pun; I couldn't resist!
> 
> This story is inspired by a photo manipulation by EllenSama on tumblr. Check her out!
> 
> This photomanipulation was a prompt for the Facebook group ReyLo Fic Recs under Drabble Me This. This drabble turned into a one-shot. This story definitely focuses on the silly side of Matt; I hope it's not too OOC for Ben overall. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the story!

“Who's there?!” screamed Ben Solo, face drenched with sweat as he sat up in bed.

 

He looked around and realized that no one was. 

 

That empty space beside him could be even warmer, if he ever got the guts up to tell Rey the truth.

 

Insomnia was Ben's old friend. He'd been suffering from it all through high school, and then he learned to utilize it in college. 

 

It had made him very successful. 

 

The issue was that he didn't often wake suddenly like that, as though he had just been electrocuted. 

 

Something else had pulled him away out of restless sleep. He checked his phone to see if he was right.

 

He had a new message from Rey, from less than ten minutes ago.

 

Rey: Are you awake? I can't sleep. I dreamed about Plutt again.

 

She couldn't sleep, either, as was normal. The horrors she had faced before and during foster care were enough to make him shiver and want to destroy the deadbeat parents and foster ones she had had. She often woke up from nightmares. 

 

Somehow, he couldn't quite explain why or how, he just  _ knew  _ when she needed him, just as she inexplicably called or texted him when he was about to deal with something bad, or had just stepped into it.

 

Tonight was no exception. He sent her a message and got dressed. If he was going to be useful tonight while awake, he might as well spend it with company, someone who actually wanted him.

 

He had always wondered what might happen if they slept together in the same bed. They were great at soothing the fears of the other; would they actually get a full night's sleep together? 

 

It was possible, if he ever told her the truth. He wasn't sure which part of the truth he was more scared to tell her, that he loved her or that he was not actually Matt.

 

Rey tried dozing off when she didn't immediately get a response back. When she heard the notification, she went for her phone at once. 

 

Matt: Yeah. I felt you. I'm coming over.

 

Somehow he always knew when she really wanted or needed him beside her. 

 

She had just started her first day undercover at Ben Solo’s gigantic, corporate fishing company - The Fish Order - when she got lost in the large warehouse. Matt had appeared out of nowhere and awkwardly offered his help to show her where to go. It turned out he was a radar technician like she was.

 

She had been afraid that she would get caught as she tried to figure out what made his company so successful. Her tiny business was nothing compared to his, but somehow it was still open.

 

She never saw Matt do any work on the radars. He always watched her do it since she was new. 

 

That was actually because it was one of the few areas in his company where Ben hadn't interned briefly before taking over Snoke's empire.

 

He learned quickly from watching Rey, though. She was good at what she did, very detailed and good at explaining. It also helped that she cared about everyone.

 

No one else seemed to notice her, at first. It was a crime. He soon found himself following her everywhere as he tried to figure out why she was there when she had her own business to run. He had met her as Ben Solo three times before that, and each time, they had butted heads.

 

He was an entitled, stiff brat and show-off who abandoned his family's business. Rey was the one from nothing who had taken it over. 

 

He had been shocked to see her in his warehouse, so he put on a disguise and followed her since she seemed lost. Who would have thought a blond wig and glasses with the really ghastly uniform would hide him so well?

 

As he reflected back on their first few days working together, his mind was pulled away by the song on the radio.

 

_ “I've been drivin' all night, my hand's wet on the wheel. _

_ There's a voice in my head that drives my heel. _

_ It's my baby callin', says I need you here, _

_ And it's a half past four and I'm shiftin' gear.” _

 

Wasn't that the truth of his situation at present? Rey wasn't a damsel in distress; she was an independent, hard-working woman who impressed him. 

 

She didn't know how to ask for help before meeting him. Now, she knew that she could reach out to him as someone to lean on, and she did.

 

_ “When she is lonely and the longing gets too much, _ __  
_ She sends a cable comin' in from above. _ _  
_ __ Don't need no phone at all.”

 

They heard or felt one another somehow. They had a mutual understanding. She understood and felt the loneliness that he did. 

 

She also didn't sleep, just like him. They connected at a lot of odd hours because of it. She had done it to just talk; he did it because he was trying to get the guts up to ask her out.

 

She had earned his respect and admiration over the past six months. He had exchanged contact information with her (purely for work reasons, of course) and about a month in, he knew he liked her. He went through several sleepless nights trying to figure out how to ask her out. 

 

When he accidentally sent her a half-finished text, she responded immediately, saying that she couldn't sleep. They had been texting since. When she admitted to having bad nightmares two months in, he took to calling her, as he was worried about her.

 

She resisted his attempts to come over for a time, but eventually, he got his way once they started dating. He would take any reason to see her. 

 

_ “We've got a thing that's called radar love. _ _  
_ _ We've got a wave in the air, radar love.” _

 

The truth was that he was falling in love with her. He had been working with her for five months when his father fell ill. 

 

Rey had been so upset about it, even more than him. He was glad that Rey was looking after Han since he was estranged.

 

Han eventually asked to see him, and all the time with Rey showed:  he was able to tolerate others better, showing more compassion for them, and his temper had evened out a bit. Han asked to see him again. They even reconciled before he died.

 

That had been a week ago. Now, the funeral had passed, and the will had shocked him. 

 

After making it clear that he didn't want any part of The Millennium Fishermen, his father's company, Han had gone and given him joint ownership with Rey.

 

It was a secret blessing. He needed Rey to see him as Ben more, not Matt. His feelings had developed quickly, and he knew he couldn't progress with their relationship until he told her the whole truth.

 

Admitting he loved her was scary enough. But, he was confident that if she felt similarly, then she would get over the deception quickly.

 

He needed to find some way to tell her. He had been racking his brain. It needed to be something big and ridiculous, just as Matt was prone to do.

  
_ “The radio is playing some forgotten song; _ __  
_ Brenda Lee's comin' on strong. _ __  
_ The road has got me hypnotized, _ __  
__ And I'm speedin' into a new sunrise.”   
  


Of course….Music! That was how he could do it. He even had the perfect opportunity to do it, at the celebration of life ceremony for Han.

 

Han had insisted in his will that there be no sad, boring funeral and buffet for him when he passed. He wanted all to celebrate loudly, with music and alcohol, and both Ben and Rey had to attend if they wanted to inherit.

 

_ “When I get lonely and I'm sure I've had enough, _ __  
_ She sends her comfort comin' in from above. _ __  
__ We don't need no letter at all!”   
  


He could sing and dance to some song. Both of them loved classic rock songs; he would do one of those. But which one?

 

_ “We've got a thing that's called radar love. _ _  
_ _ We've got a light in the sky, radar love.” _

 

Yes. That would do nicely since they met at work. 

 

_ “No more speed, I'm almost there. _ __  
_ Gotta keep cool now, gotta take care. _ __  
_ Last car to pass, here I go, _ _  
_ __ And the line of cars drove down real slow.”

 

His mind made up, he slowed down as he pulled onto Rey’s street. Her kitchen light was on when he pulled up. 

 

“Matt!” she called with a smile from the open front door. “This is late, even for us. You're ridiculous.”

 

He smiled before kissing her.

 

“I'm not a boggart; stop saying that.”

 

When Rey stopped laughing, he continued, “Do you expect anything less from me? When have I ever not come?” he asked as she closed the door behind them.

 

“Never. You've always been here when I needed you,” she said, leaning her head against him.

 

“And I will always come,” he insisted as they snuggled into her threadbare couch.

 

\----------

 

A few days later, Ben stared at the door to Maz's Cantina, Han’s favorite dive bar.

 

Everyone was inside. 

 

Matt had already called ahead to say he would be “late". Really, he just needed enough time to show his face to his family, and then tell Rey about his proposal. 

 

When he walked in, the smell of freshly-made tortillas and tomatoes filled his nostrils, making him hungry.

 

He had to eat  _ something  _ with those famous margaritas anyway. So long as he had enough liquid courage to dance and sing, he didn't care.

 

His mother and uncle were in a corner, talking to Maz and Chewie. As soon as Maz saw him, she called out his name and brought forward the food and margarita she had had ready for him.

 

At least  _ she _ believed he would show. Luke seemed shocked. His mother just looked tired but regal, as always. 

 

Rey was on the other side of the small joint, surrounded by all their friends. Hux and Phasma were his only friends as Ben. They had dismissed Rey upon meeting her, just as he originally had. The only difference was that he had opened his mouth and said as much to her, earning him a swift right hook in the face.

 

It had all gone downhill from there. 

 

Everyone else of the ten plus people around Rey knew Rey, Matt, or both. When had he done that? 

 

Rey turned toward him as Maz called him out. He found himself stiffening on instinct. 

 

Rey had alway called him tightly wound. His father had called him an exploding tantrum waiting to happen. He preferred to think of himself as slightly stiff and formal, as befitting a man of his station. If he got loud, it was because people needed to know who was in charge.

 

Maz greeted him warmly, as well as told Luke to pay up. That made Ben smile.

 

After he greeted his family, he headed toward Rey, who had floated toward him at some point. She was looking at him oddly.

 

“Rey, I'm glad you're alone for the moment. I thought I'd have to wrestle you free from all your friends,” he said.

 

Her puzzled expression deepened as he realized that Matt had used that phrase a few times. 

 

She shrugged before smiling at him.

 

“I'm just glad you came. Hux said you wouldn't, but I didn't believe him. So you do care about the Fishermen after all?”

 

“I always did,” he whispered, his eyes not leaving hers. “I'm just not the right guy to take care of it. It's in much better hands with you.”

 

As Rey's mouth gaped open in surprise, he treasured her stunned look. It wasn't often he could do that. Usually he just inspired anger.

 

Ever since their last meeting before Han's death, she had begun to show a new range of emotions toward him. 

 

Worry and fear in the face of Han’s poor health. Deep sadness when he passed. 

 

Matt couldn't make it to the funeral - for obvious reasons - so she had cried on Ben's shoulder. She pretended not to notice him crying, and he held her close as long as she needed. He had even sat and told her stories of Han until three in the morning, when she finally fell asleep.

 

Now, she looked at him as though for the first time.

 

“Well, this reaction certainly is a change from your first impression of me, when you said I knew nothing,” she said wryly.

 

He remembered that day well. She had been running the business for all of three days when he had come knocking, to see what she had done with the place. 

 

About two weeks later, she had appeared at his business. 

 

When he made  _ that  _ connection, everything suddenly made sense. He had inspired her to come sneak around his place, no doubt to learn what he did.

 

“First impressions can be wrong, and you've learned much since then,” he said. “You've proven yourself by managing to make a small profit.”

 

People started calling out to Rey. She looked at him with renewed purpose. 

 

“So, why did you want to talk alone with me?”

 

“I have a….proposal of sorts. Now that I've been shown the error of my ways, I'd like to work with you. First with the Millennium Fishermen, and then perhaps on a larger scale.”

 

Rey's eyes widened. 

 

“How much larger?”

 

“Would you ever consider combining our businesses and co-owning them together?”

 

She blinked. Multiple times. 

 

“Excuse me? I think I just heard you offer to make me your partner, er business partner."

 

That time, he did grin. He couldn't help himself between how she responded and the idea that she had already divined what he really wanted. 

 

“You heard correctly. You don't have to answer right away. Just think about it,” he insisted, reaching out for her right hand.

 

She intertwined her fingers with his out of instinct, the maneuver familiar because of Matt. 

 

They held that pose for a moment until Rey realized what she had done. As she loosened her grip, he shook her hand.

 

“Thank you for considering my offer.”

 

She was grateful for his save, as well as the friends that approached them after that. 

 

“I'm glad you could reconcile with Han. He had been suspicious at first, but he saw what I already had,” she said with certainty. 

 

Ben found himself dumbfounded for the next ten minutes. 

 

After Ben had spent the necessary time talking to others, he excused himself to eat and use the bathroom. 

 

While he changed, he looked at the time. He was going to be late!

 

He rushed through the rest of his changing, not bothering to put any adhesive between his scalp and the wig for once. 

 

Usually, he put it on to ensure that the wig didn't fly off. It had never come loose once, so he figured he could do without it that night, seeing as he would have to reveal himself anyway.

 

He jumped through the low window to escape, and then he made his official appearance as Matt. 

 

As soon as he walked in the door, Maz peered at him as though she had seen a ghost. Leia looked up, too, before shrugging and smiling at Maz.

 

When Rey saw him, her face lit up, and she rushed to him at once.

 

“Matt! You made it! You just missed Ben. One of these days, you'll have to meet and compare heights. I'm not quite sure which one of you is more ridiculously tall.”

 

He covered up an awkward cough by laughing. 

 

“Says the adorably short one-"

 

“So you must be Matt!” shouted Maz from behind him.

 

He jumped in surprise, attempting to not make any violent moves on Maz. He should've expected something like this from her.

 

He knelt down after he had control of his feelings again and shook her hand. After she yanked him forward and stared into his eyes for a good, long time - he was proud to say that he didn't flinch, unlike his head of Human Resources, Finn - she let go. 

 

“He's a keeper,” said Maz breezily before heading back to her seat. “If you're hungry, let me know! I'll get you a margarita for now.”

 

“Thanks!” he said as Rey dragged him over to their mutual friends.

 

Three strong margaritas later, Ben felt as though he was ready to make a fool of himself. He  _ hated  _ doing it normally. 

 

However, he had learned much about humility in the last six months. He had learned to appreciate others for something other than efficiency, and he had learned to connect to others through weakness and failure. 

 

As he navigated the confusing waters of dating, he found that the only way to grow closer to Rey was to make himself vulnerable, showing the ridiculous and weak parts of him. 

 

He didn't want anyone doubting his feelings for her, either. He had no problem showing what he was willing to do in order to earn her love; this would be big and ridiculous, just as everything else about Matt was.

 

He had always been so stiff in his role as head of the company. Being a lowly worker bee had been freeing, as it had allowed other parts of him to show, to take life less seriously.

 

One day, after Rey had forgiven him for his deception, he hoped to continue on his current path. It had started because of her, and every moment spent with her made it worth it. She balanced him out in a way no one else could.

 

Poe came back to the table with drinks for himself and Rey. As Rey accepted the drink, Finn said, “Matt, you got competition! You better do something to reclaim your honor!”

 

Rey protested it, but Ben got up anyway.

 

“She's  _ my _ girl, Poe. This time only. I should do something….”

 

As he trailed off, he pretended to think while leaning against Rey.

 

“Make it big!” said Poe with a good-natured jab. 

 

“I got it!” he cried, making Rey jump up.

 

“Matt, you're drunk. Don't do it. You don't need to prove anything. I already love you as you are.”

 

She covered her mouth with both hands as she realized what drinking two margaritas could do.

 

“I love you, too, Rey,” he said, leaning in for a kiss. 

 

When they pulled away, he said, “And now I want everyone to know that we're together. That our love is special. I've even got a name for our special love.”

 

“Matt," she warned with a semi-serious look.

 

“You'll love it! Wait here,” he said, pushing her gently into her seat before bounding over to Maz.

 

“Maz! I need your help.”

 

The ageless owner of the bar turned with a knowing grin. 

 

“How can I help you?”

 

Within a few minutes, Ben was situated in the center of everyone, music at the ready.

 

He didn't notice his mother pull out her phone, or when she started to record him.

 

“Everyone! I have an announcement to make.”

 

All grew silent at his booming voice. He sounded much more like Ben in that moment, rather than mild Matt.

 

He didn't care. Rey loved him, and he loved her. He wanted everyone to know.

 

Hopefully this would soften Rey toward him later that night, when he told her in the locked safety of Rey's house. He stared at her as he started.

 

“As you might know, I've been dating Rey for a little more than four months. These have been the best months of my life.”

 

A few people made aww noises, while Rey covered her blushing face.

 

“To celebrate our relationship and show you a few great aspects of our special love, I've decided to do it in a way that Han Solo would've appreciated, with loud music and dancing.”

 

He smiled when Rey sat up straight. She knew from experience that he preferred to only dance in front of her.

 

Had he known that he made his mother cry with that comment, he might have looked at her.

 

Instead, he signaled Maz, and she started the song. During the introduction, he explained, “We met at work, repairing radars. It was destined from the start. So began our radar love.”

 

He was pleased to see Rey shake her head at his bad joke. It was only going to get worse.

 

Over the last two weeks, he had done research on line dances involving the song “Radar Love" by Golden Earring. 

 

Unfortunately, there were variations, and with little practice time and much alcohol in his body, his controlled movements were not that anymore. 

 

He was proud of himself for staying in pitch as he sang. Sure, it was loud, and his hands had a tendency to act out what he said, but alcohol did that.

 

While pretending to drive, he sang, _ “ _ I've been drivin' all night, my hand's wet on the wheel.”

 

He started off the line dance correctly, taking a series of short steps right before returning to his original position. Then he stepped forward several more steps before coming back.

 

His hands were supposed to stay at his side, but he couldn't help himself. He knew the song too well. His right hand mimed him talking on the phone and going to Rey after pretending to sleep on a pillow.

 

Trying to kick his feet to the front and back was too difficult with that amount of tequila in his body, so he freestyled it while singing, “When she is lonely and the longing gets too much.”

 

He kicked up his legs and feet as though he were in marching band again, marching toward her in order to ease the longing. He continued marching until he got close to her, making everyone hoot and catcall.

 

Then, he sang as loudly as possible, “We've got a thing that's called radar love!” 

 

He spread out his hands as wide as possible, before compressing himself to lean in and almost kiss Rey. 

 

Rey was trying very hard to contain her laughter. It only emboldened him more.

 

Instead of singing about not needing anymore speed, he chose instead to go back to doing the original line dance. He repeated the stepping to the right and going forward motions while his hands just flew around him excitedly. Then, he explained the great pun he had thought of.

 

Han would've been proud of it.

 

“And you see, what makes this song even better is how I personalize it. Instead of thinking of boring, old radars, I think of Rey, and our connection. I can't explain how we know when the other needs us, but we do. So you know what I've got? Reydar! I detect Rey!” 

 

By the time he finished his little spiel, he had drawn closer and closer to Rey. She was grinning, which only made him more excited.

  
As he picked up the singing, he chose to freestyle it again by zigzagging across the floor. He sang, “And the radio played that forgotten song.”

 

His hands shot forward from his chest, as though the music were emanating from there. The hand motions only got bigger and more ridiculous as he sang about everyone else and their song.

 

As the song crescendoed, he almost shouted, “Oh one more Reydar lover gone!”

 

He violently threw his head back in time with the music to emphasize the word “gone”. 

 

The only problem was that in the process of doing that, his wig and fake glasses did exactly that; they flew off his head.

 

It only took him a moment to feel the difference, and then to see the shocked faces of everyone, save Maz and his mother.

 

Rey was most surprised of all. She got up, and Maz switched off the music like a good hostess.

 

“Well, this is awkward,” he said, a hand going behind his head. “Rey, I swear this wasn't how I planned to tell you.”

 

“Ben? After all this time?” she asked, stepping toward him.

 

She didn't seem upset. She wasn't happy, either, but she hadn't yelled at him yet. This was good!

 

“Yeah, that was all me. I'm a really awkward, quiet person most of the time when I'm not trying to be the boss that I think I should be.”

 

“But why did you wait all this time to tell me?” she asked, her voice and face looking hurt.

 

“I, uh, thought that you hated me for all this time. Well, at least until Han got sick,” he added, staring at his shoes.

 

He saw the moment that she reached him. She planted her feet firmly before one of her hands grabbed hold of his chin and directed his eyes to meet hers.

 

“Ben, I can't believe I didn't see more of the similarities until recently. I'm sorry; we both acted poorly when we first met.”

 

“Does this mean you don't hate me?” he asked hopefully with sparkling eyes. 

 

“Do you still love me?” she asked seriously, her hands letting go of him.

 

“Yes,” he affirmed at once. “You have no idea how happy I am. I was never this happy before you. I was-"

 

He was saved from drunken rambling by Rey. She dragged his face down to hers and kissed him until the message got through his thick skull that she still loved him.

 

When they pulled apart amid many cheers, Rey said quietly, “Is this why you seemed to change so much over the course of our friendship? Because of me?”

 

“Yes,” he said. “You showed me a new, wide world, one where I can be myself, stiff and ridiculous. Somehow, you like me.”

 

“It's hard  _ not  _ to like you,” she said with a grin.”I'm a little disappointed about this lack of trust, but we'll work on it. And I'll give you crap about it for a long time to come.”

 

“I expect nothing less,” he said before turning back to Maz. “Can we have that music again?”

 

Maz nodded.

 

“I want to dance with you,” he whispered in her ear when he turned back around.

 

Her eyes twinkled. 

 

“Only if you promise to swing dance with me. Your mother swears you know how, and no one else I know does.”

 

“Done.”

 

As their hands joined, others took the cue and joined them on the dance floor. 

 

As he led, he sang in Rey's ear, “When I get lonely and I'm sure I've had enough, she sends her comfort comin' in from above.”

 

“I still can't believe you made that awful pun. It's adorable, but bad. If that doesn't scream Han Solo, I don't know what does,” she said with a laugh.

 

“Some of his love of bad jokes rubbed off on me. I like to think mine are more esoteric, or just generally better,” he said, a little miffed at being told his jokes were bad.

 

As the party continued to grow in excitement, Ben and Rey danced in the center, lost to the outside world. His hands held hers loosely as they glided across the floor, twisting and twirling as needed. 

  
With eyes glued to the other, they sang, “We've got a thing that's called Reydar love. We've got a light in the sky.”

 

Then they ended the dance as he swung her into a kiss.

 

We've got a thing that's called Reydar Love.”  
  


**Author's Note:**

> The End! Thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed the silliness of this songfic.


End file.
